1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a technology for supporting communication by users who share a virtual space established on a network with other users (hereinafter simply “virtual space”) and enabling simultaneous chatting.
2. Description of Related Art
In the present invention “chat system” refers to a system in which a plurality of users share a virtual space, and can send and receive character messages (hereinafter “messages”) in essentially real time, and which can display the aforesaid sent and received messages.
“IRC (Internet Relay Chat) system” refers to a chat system based on the IRC protocol (RFC 1459) and consisting of IRC servers and IRC clients. An IRC server broadcasts messages from IRC clients to other IRC clients within a channel. An IRC client sends and receives messages to other IRC clients via an IRC server.
“Channel” in an IRC system refers to a virtual space shared by IRC clients. “Nickname” in an IRC system refers to an identifier for uniquely specifying a user. “Topic” refers to the subject of conversation on each channel. “Mode” refers to characteristics of the channel.
Conventionally, various types of chat systems have been provided in which a plurality of users share a virtual space and can simultaneously chat using text. One example is the IRC system. In the IRC system a channel is formed for each subject of conversation, known as a topic. Users participate in a channel that has a topic of interest, and chat among themselves about the topic. Messages to a channel are made by inputting a character message and pressing the return key. Character messages expressed by oneself and other IRC clients are displayed on a display.
Other systems in which a plurality of users share a virtual space and can communicate are party line services on a telephone network and mailing systems. In a party line service three or more users share a virtual space on a telephone network and can chat in real time in the same manner as IRC. In a mailing system, electronic mail to a mailing list is simultaneously allotted to a plurality of mail addresses. The plurality of mail addresses share a virtual space represented by a mailing list.
However, in an IRC system, when the number of users participating in a channel becomes numerous, there is often a plurality of subjects of conversation progressing simultaneously in the same channel. In this case messages regarding different subjects of conversation are displayed mixed together, and the conversation becomes confused. Also, users may be inconvenienced by the fact that in IRC at present, messaging is always limited to a single (current) channel.
For example, the following sort of situation occurs. Fifty researchers in a certain research department are participating in channel #CH1. Group A and Group B within the research department are studying the same theme. The researchers within each group want to chat about research within their own group. Also, other researchers want to chat in channel #CH1 so that they can see the chat contents. However, if two conversations proceed in parallel in the same channel, they are displayed mixed together on the display, and the conversation becomes confused. The same sort of problem occurs in other chat systems too.
Meanwhile, a separate Group C within the same research department decides to meet in channel #meeting. In order to advance the meeting contents, Group C wants Group D, which is participating in a separate channel called #LAB, to also participate in meetings. However, in conventional chat systems, both Groups C and D cannot share a chat on channel #meeting unless users within Group D voluntarily participate in channel #meeting. Moreover, since users in Group D may be absent or such, it is difficult for a plurality of users to participate in channel #meeting together.
Also, the following sort of needs occur, for example. On channel #TALK, users who have received permission to participate by paying a fee chat with celebrities such as artists or athletes and the like. The administrator of channel #TALK wants to let the contents of channel #TALK flow to an ordinary channel for a specified period of time as a commercial for the chat on channel #TALK.
In addition, if user support is provided using a chat system such as IRC, etc., all support personnel need to participate on one support channel. But if a plurality of support personnel respond to an inquiry from one questioner, the questioner may get a different responder to each question. This is very troublesome to the questioner. In order to avoid this, the responses from a plurality of support personnel should be displayed to the user as responses from one support person at most.
Furthermore, an existing support system that uses the telephone is a system in which a plurality of support personnel are waiting by the phone and respond to inquiries. However, with the telephone, when a single responder cannot answer, it is impossible to give the questioner the impression that responses from a plurality of responders are responses from one responder at most. And in mailing systems, even if responses from a plurality of responders are created by electronic mail to seem to be responses from one responder, the questioner cannot receive responses to questions in real time.